Chronic Wasting Disease Spreads In Utah’s Deer Population

Chronic wasting disease, first detected in Utah mule deer in 2002 near Vernal in northeastern Utah, has now been confirmed in new areas of the state, including the Scofield area of Carbon County and new areas of Uintah County.

The disease, often referred to as CWD, is a rare but fatal neurological illness that affects deer, elk and moose. It was first discovered in Utah in a buck harvested during the rifle hunt near Vernal. Since then, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has monitored its spread through ongoing surveillance and testing efforts.

Samples Collected During The Fall Deer Hunt

“The DWR monitors for the spread of chronic wasting disease in big game animals across Utah and conducts check stations each fall during the general-season rifle deer hunts to test harvested deer in specific hunting units,” DWR State Wildlife Veterinarian Ginger Stout said in a press release. “The samples taken from deer during last fall’s check stations were sent to the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Logan, and we recently received the last test results.”

Between July 1 and Feb. 23, biologists collected 2,126 samples for CWD testing, including 1,479 animals harvested by hunters. Of those, 83 tested positive for the disease, with 46 of the positive cases submitted by hunters. The total number of positives was slightly lower than the 98 confirmed during the previous hunting season.

Most of the recent positive cases were found in northeastern and southeastern Utah. However, the detection of a positive deer in the Scofield area marks a new location for the disease. The Little Mountain, Pine Ridge and Dry Fork areas of Uintah County also recorded their first confirmed cases last fall.

As of Feb. 23, a cumulative total of 435 mule deer and 11 elk have tested positive for CWD in Utah. The disease is now documented in northern, northeastern, central and southeastern parts of the state.

“We can't accurately compare each year’s positive cases to determine how fast the disease is spreading because we sample areas of the state on a five-year rotation — alternatively, we compare each unit from year to year,” Stout said in the press release. “However, we are finding the disease in new areas, so unfortunately, it does appear to be spreading in Utah. We are continuing to do extensive monitoring and trying different hunting strategies to stay on top of the disease and its prevalence in the state.”

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Chronic wasting disease is caused by a misfolded protein known as a prion that accumulates in the brain and spinal cord. Similar prion diseases include mad cow disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep. Infected animals may appear healthy in early stages, making testing essential. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the risk of transmission to humans extremely low but recommends that meat from infected animals not be consumed.

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Wildlife officials encourage anyone who observes a deer that appears sick to contact the nearest DWR office.